By Sara McCarthy
Signal Staff Writer
Matthew Johnson, an Eagle Scout candidate of Troop 2222, knew that he didn’t want a stereotypical Eagle Scout project — he wanted to truly represent the meaning of an Eagle Scout, which is to create a lasting impact on his community.
As someone who began as a Cub Scout at the age of 4, Johnson recalls wanting to be a part of helping his community, a desire that continued as his driving force in his project.
To accomplish this, Johnson looked to other organizations in Santa Clarita to partner with on his journey. With his goal to make a difference, Johnson decided to partner with Family Promise to make sustainable emergency chests to be supplied to families in need.
“I didn’t just want to build a bench or something,” said Johnson. “I knew I wanted to directly help people, so I was looking for organizations around Santa Clarita, and Family Promise stuck out to me, because they don’t just help the needy — they aid them to sustain themselves and really make a lasting impact on those in need.”
Family Promise is a nonprofit organization that temporarily houses families having trouble finding or keeping a home, Johnson said. The organization houses families in apartments in Castaic for four to six weeks while they help the residents find jobs, find and go to personal support groups that they need, and find permanent housing solutions.
Monica Holmes, program director at Family Promise, said Johnson’s idea sounded appealing to the Family Promise team when he proposed his plan at the beginning of this year.
“We thought it was amazing,” said Holmes. “Anyone who wants to support the families in a unique way, it’s awesome. I think [he] listened to the needs of the organization and the needs of the families and came up with a plan that would be beneficial.”
To compile these emergency chests, Johnson rallied other Scouts in his troop to help fundraise and fill up the emergency chests with necessary supplies, such as canned goods, water, and other necessities like batteries and flashlights.
“I first started with a basic GoFundMe that I advertised on social media, and then we set up a booth at Albertsons to collect basic cash and donations,” said Johnson. “Making the chests was a two-day process for everybody, but it was pretty simple — two long days of six hours of work.”
Ten emergency chests were completed in total, each to be given to a family upon moving out of the Family Promise apartments. Since his project’s completion on Feb. 28, four of the chests have been placed at Family Promise’s resource center in Newhall, with another three reserved for families that will be moved into stable housing within the upcoming months.
“[My project] is helpful because it is supplying people with something that may save their life and help them feel more secure, safe, and at home in their new homes,” said Johnson. “Especially with our area located on a fault line, there is an increased risk for emergency, and therefore an increased need to be protected.”
The impact Johnson has made on the homes of Family Promise has left the Family Promise team immensely appreciative of his efforts.
“It was a huge project, and for him to follow through was really awesome,” said Holmes. “I think he led with a passion for the families that he was serving.”
